Colophon

The animal on the cover of Building a Web 2.0 Portal with ASP.NET 3.5 is a giant green sea anemone (Anthopleura xanthogrammica). These anemones are found on rocks in tidal pools, rocky outcroppings, and concrete pilings from Alaska to Panama in intertidal and subtidal zones. The giant green sea anemone varies in size but can reach heights of 30 cm, have a 17 cm base, and a crown or head of 25 cm.

The giant green sea anemone gets its color from green pigment in its epidermis, so the more sunlight it is exposed to, the more green it becomes. This anemone is a solitary and mostly stationary invertebrate from the Cnidaria phylum, which also includes jellyfish. Like a jellyfish, the giant green sea anemone stings its prey with poison tentacles and then draws the food to its mouth. These anemones enjoy a carnivorous diet of mussels, sea urchins, and small fish, and have been known to eat a giant crab in 15 minutes. Clownfish are immune to its stings and often have symbiotic relationships with anemones. Scientists are experimenting with the poison as a cardiotonic to help ailing human hearts.

The enemies of the giant green anemone include starfish, snails, and sea slugs. However, development in coastal areas, pollution, human foot traffic, and harvesting for home aquariums also pose significant threats.

The cover image is from The Riverside Natural History. The cover font is Adobe ITC Garamond. The text font is Linotype Birka; the heading font is Adobe Myriad Condensed; and the code ...

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